(4) K-3 Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Dealing with Feelings series. Illustrated by Kushnir Hilli. In Jealous, the narrator envies the attention-getting new girl. Scared finds a (different) narrator worried about swim lessons. Both books feature adults who help the children recognize emotions ("What am I feeling? I am feeling scared") and react appropriately ("We practice breathing deeply"). The easy-reader stories, with their "Dealing with Feelings" message and somewhat static digitally-colored pencil illustrations, are reassuring if a little bland. Review covers these Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Dealing with Feelings titles: This Makes Me Jealous and This Makes Me Scared.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi. Greenfield presents poems from new puppy Thinker's and young owner Jace's points of view. The two philosophize about poetry and life while getting to know each other. The poems range from free verse, sometimes with well-paced internal rhyme, to more structured rhyming poems. Abdollahi's bright paper collages show a joyful, brown-skinned family, in a welcome addition to the too-small canon of lighthearted animal fantasy (and poetry) featuring children of color.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rogério Coelho. Young Nora awakens one day to find an octopus on the roof of her apartment building. Her anxious neighbors finally relax when their visitor helps wash a car, weeds some flower boxes, etc. But will the octopus come through with its promise to be Nora's show-and-tell guest at school? The off-kilter, no-wiggle-room illustrations are just right for a story so entertainingly askew.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 For show-and-tell, Rose wants to discover something that hasn't been found before, but she doesn't know where to look for it. So she draws maps and follows them into the sky, sea, mountains, and beyond. Does Rose find what she's looking for, or has she created it herself? Marcero's intricate mixed-media illustrations, particularly of Rose's many maps, bring this imaginative journey to life.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Joe Sutphin. Books in which animals talk to each other and understand humans (but humans remain oblivious) are ripe for the sort of inconsistencies that mar this novel. Nevertheless, readers craving pleasant animal adventures set in the subways, sewers, streets, and parks of New York City may enjoy this inconsequential story about a rat rescuing his brother, who's become a show-and-tell assignment. Expressive pencil sketches appear throughout.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Diana Schoenbrun. Sam is determined to stand out at one of the special days at school: "Take Your Octopus to School Day." Loosely rendered ink, watercolor, and charcoal-pencil illustrations picture Sam toting his pet, Thurgood, ensconced in a travel tank. Scientific details, such as camouflage abilities of the "cephalopod mollusk in the order Octopoda," add dimension to the lighthearted school story.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Jack's orange toy dinosaur Dexter (Don't Forget Dexter!) is wracked with anxiety as Show-and-Tell Day looms at Jack's school: Is he cool enough? Dexter frantically experiments with various costumes and performances, responding directly to the reader's implied criticisms. Ultimately, Dexter makes a splash by being himself. The conversational text and ink, colored-pencil, and cut-paper art capture a common worry with humor and reassurance.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Molly Idle. Zombelina is excited to share her new hip-hop routine at show-and-tell, but when the time comes, "things begin falling apart" (literally). By channeling her embarrassment into empathy and support for nervous new (ghost) kid Morty, Zombelina gains a friend and dance partner. The singsongy rhyming text and didactic message are enhanced by Idle's lively and humorous colored-pencil illustrations.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Jim Paillot. Tomboy Alexia is assigned to feed class pet Bob, a snake. During show-and-tell, other students' pets wreak havoc until Bob is scared into playing dead (much to Alexia's relief, "Bob is fine!"). Forced humor drags down the slim story, but full-color cartoon illustrations capture the frenetic energy of this easy reader aimed at kids not quite ready for the chapter books.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(2) K-3 A woodchuck at school for show-and-tell brings together a shy first grader named Chuck and his classmate Caroline. Caroline describes the ways Woodchuck goes out of his way to get her attention on Chuck's behalf. Chuck eventually finds his voice, in a sweet and satisfying way, and a three-way friendship is formed. Clear, unfussy ink and digital pictures illustrate the humorously fantastical story.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2016

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Pete the Cat is excited for a snow day, but after three of them, he can't wait to go back to school. The unrealistic story has Pete plowing the roads so school can reopen and he can share his snow adventures during show-and-tell. Repetition in the easy-to-navigate text, along with the recognizable characters in Dean's signature illustrations, increase the new-reader appeal.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Stephen Gilpin. When his teacher says it's time for show-and-tell, Jimmy says, "That stinks!" Turns out he's referring to his pet skunk, which he presents to the class. When Susie replies, "Aw, nuts!", she means the snacks she's brought from home. Amazingly, Katz sustains the clever-crude riff until the principal has the last laugh. Gilpin's semi-grotesque art has MAD Magazine–style swagger.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 1-3 Shelter Pet Squad series. Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Suzannah's embarrassed to be the only Shelter Pet Squad member without a pet, especially as her second-grade class Pet Day approaches. Can sharing the story of Paloma, a shelter dog from Puerto Rico, be just as special? Dog lovers will appreciate Paloma's happy ending in this third story with overtly integrated pet-care tips; halftone illustrations capture Suzannah's enthusiasm. Additional facts and activities are appended.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Buster's ideas are a hit at home but the butt of jokes at school...until his uncle's "What-If Machine" brings them to life. Heavily saturated digital cartoons enliven Buster's wild ideas, with use of color primarily responsible for altering the mood--and outcome--of each invention. Overall, the illustrations are visually overwhelming, but some clever details add depth to the story.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Pamintuan Macky. Written by Lori Haskins Houran. Flat Stanley agrees to let his brother bring him for show-and-tell--because Stanley's good at wiggling his ears. As in the previous books, Stanley's lack of depth saves the day. Accompanied by pedestrian illustrations, the story has a whiff of tension and an accessible text. There's an alluded-to "real reason Stanley was going to Show-and-Tell," but it's not clarified.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Giselle Potter. The team responsible for Shrinking Violet offers this tale of a spelling-obsessed kid who is distressed after her efforts to start a spelling club at school are met with yawns. She gets her classmates to change their minds improbably easily and completely, but the writing is spick-and-span, and Potter scores with her customary warmth and attention to facial features.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lynne Avril. Can Nellie Sue's cowgirl spunk, captured in the peppy illustrations, save her when the new school year dishes out some challenges, including new-girl Maya, who threatens Nellie Sue's best friendship with Anna? Like the Fancy Nancy series, the Every Cowgirl books feature reliably engaging scenarios starring an unsinkable girl who is a suburban everykid, despite her insistence otherwise ("How-dee, Pardner!").

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 It's karma: in her second (and superior) vehicle (Chamelia), the stage-hogging chameleon is outshone by a new classmate. Cooper is a great artist, a great athlete, and, as the snappy digital-collage art makes clear, a great dresser. Show-and-Tell Day means a showdown but leads to a breathtakingly unexpected change of heart: Chamelia realizes that sometimes "being the best felt the worst."

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Ben Clanton. Jasper is super excited about being class Star of the Week, but nothing goes right: no one understands his show-and-tell (a lint collection--from Dad's bellybutton), his family tree project is more like a "family stick," and his friend Ori's new baby sister is getting all the attention. Jasper's problems in this humorous, offbeat story will resonate with young readers.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) K-3 A boy laments that his fuddy-duddy grandfather, Frank, who "doesn't like noise...or gadgets and gizmos...or haircuts" is his show-and-tell guest. The best he thinks Frank can offer is that his "arm hurts when it's about to rain." Captivating line drawings, speckled with humorous, vintage details, capture the crotchety-Grandpa-turned-hero who dazzles the young crowd with courageous tales of bullets, bugles, and battlefields.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan